my 2 cents' worth

With all that has been going on in this world regarding terrorism, the fact that this time, in Manchester UK, it involved a terrorist attack,bombing a concert by a popular American pop singer(Ariana Grande) who’s providing good entertainment to a group of young people (teenagers, tweens) has sent chills and sadness to me.

A suicide bomber did his job and left indescribable heartbreak to families and loved ones of the very young victims whether they’re dead, injured or missing.

Second-guessing as to how to improve security in any public event will always come up. Unfortunately, we all learn by hindsight. It goes to show that nothing’s safe anymore.

I feel sorry for Miss Grande who surely must be feeling distraught that her fans came to see her , only to later on meet their respective fates. I hope that this awful experience will not prevent her from performing ever again but to use this very moment to find new purpose in performing for her fans.

With Easter Sunday arriving tomorrow,amidst all the impending festivities, I will also be reflecting on the life of a special family(a widow with 3 special-needs,adult sons) who all passed away from smoke inhalation secondary to a house fire just this past Tuesday.

It happened in the town of St. George,New Brunswick,Canada.

Their deaths have been deemed as “non-criminal in nature”. the cause of the fire remains now under the investigation by the Office of the Fire Marshal.

The only silver lining here is that all 4 of them left this world together and will be celebrating Easter in their own way wherever they are now.

Here’s today’s news article which gives a synopsis of what had recently happened and the memorial service of all the 4 deceased family members.

Community gathers to remember family killed in house fire—-Sarah Seeley(The Telegraph Journal)

ST.GEORGE– Fire trucks lined Main Street outside St. George Baptist on Saturday as the community gathered to remember Esther Boyd and her three adult sons,Davey,Billy and Robbie.

The four family members died in a fire at their South Street home on Tuesday.

The public memorial service was held on what would have been Davey’s 56th birthday.

The front of the church was filled with members of the St. George Fire Dept. where Davey was an honorary fire chief who had helped out at the station for more than 40 years.

Firefighters from the departments in Black Harbour,Deer island and St. Stephen were also at the service.

All the pews were filled at the Baptist church with more mourners gathering at the St. Mark’s Anglican Church across the street to hear a broadcast of the service.

Some of the Musquash Fire department took over operations at the St. George Fire Hall so the firefighters could attend the funeral.

Esther,80,was the primary caregiver for her three adult sons with special needs-Billy,59,Davey,55 and Robbie,52.

She was a dedicated member of St. George Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. The songs sung at her funeral were some of Esther’s favorites.

The church’s minister,Rev. Jason Hooper,and Rev. Mary Ann Langmaid from the Anglican Church conducted the service.

Hooper said Esther was known around the community as a kind and loving mother to her boys.

“She was a person of strong faith,”he said. It was her strong faith that helped her to persevere .”

Premier Brian Gallant and MLA Rick Doucet and St. George mayor Crystal Cook attended the service.

After the service,Gallant told the Telegraph-Journal he was touched by the outpouring of sentiments from the town of 1,500 people.

“It’s very sad anytime that you have a community going through something of this nature.We wanted to be here to support them. We know all New Brunswickers are thinking of St. George.”

Charles Edward Anderson Berry aka Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis,Missouri on Oct. 18,1926. I heard the news of his death which happened yesterday in St. Louis as well. He was 90 years old.

Having read all the articles regarding him, I will give my own input as well about this man who’s considered the Father of Rock and Roll, an original Rock and Roll legend, in fact, was the first inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

His musical repertoire reflected his views on happiness and rebellion.He was able to use his great songwriting skills to tell stories that happen in society —- for example—“Sweet Little Sixteen”(about young female fans called groupies), “School Day“(about daily school routines and trials and tribulations),”Back in the U.S.“(black man’s tribute to his country–the USA) ,”Johnny B. Goode“(aspiring country guitar player being encouraged by his mom to pursue his dream to be a star).

The Johnny B. Goode song became an anthem for every aspiring musician who dreams to hit the big time. It was also Chuck Berry’s signature song.

The song”Rock and Roll Music” became the guide song for all future rock bands to follow.

Even his gifted guitar skills have inspired known rock guitarists like George Harrison,Keith Richards and Eric Clapton for example.

He was able to combine both country fast beat and rhythm in blues song to produce the rock and roll music beat that we know now.

He was also an amazing live performer and would use his”bent-leg duck” walk from time to time while playing his guitar. on stage.

He was also known for his brushes with the law as well as his many extramarital liaisons yet he was able only to serve just part of his time in jail and the rest were either dismissed ,commuted or pardoned. He remained married to his wife Themetta Suggs who stayed by his side up to his death.

His fame had been stratospheric and one example would be the launching of the unmanned Voyager in 1977 by NASA and inside that rocket was stored a music album containing a musical playlist which included only 1 rock song—Johnny B. Goode. The purpose of that musical album was to explain to any potential extraterrestials that the Voyager may encounter as to what kind of music is being played on the planet Earth.

On his 90th birthday last year, he announced that he would be releasing his musical album first new in 38 years on 2017,titled “Chuck”. This would be a compilation of his new,original songs which were written,recorded and produced by him.

He reflected that he may be nearing the end of his life ,thus the end of his musical career and felt that it’ll be the time to hang up his boots.

It should be pointed out that he never stopped performing even when he got on in years. It probably kept him feeling young and strong because music playing and songwriting was what kept him busy and which he loved doing so.

He may be gone now but his music will live on. For me personally, all I need to do is just go on Youtube and watch Michael J. Fox sing Johnny B. Goode on 1 Back to the Future clip. I could even shake a leg and hip to its catchy beat too!

The death of 2 little boys in a horrific snake attack was the focus of a now-finished trial in Campbellton, but for relatives of the children, it is their lives they remember,helping the family carry on despite the devastating loss.

The Barthe brothers Connor,6,and Noah,4, were very close,accdg. to their grandmother,Linda Barthe, who attended every day of the 8-day criminal negligence trial in Campbellton.

On Thursday,Jean-Claude Savoie, the owner of the almost 4-meter long python that killed the children, was found not guilty by a jury of criminal negligence causing their deaths in the 2013 tragedy.

Linda Barthe said it was difficult to sit through the trial,which included details about the attack on the children after the snake escaped its enclosure in Savoie’s apartmetn and killed the boys while they were on a sleep over.

“We had to be there for the boys,”Barthe said,who showed up everyday with her husband and the boys’ grandfather,Ernest.

“I said to myself,”The boys went through it. I can go through it.”

She said Noah,who kept everyone in the family laughing with his funny comments called “Noah-isms”,was excited to start kindergarten. Connor,serious and thoughtful and about to start Grade 2, was intensely protective of his little brother and often put his arm around the smaller chiled.

Barthe said she was told that Noah died first in teh snake attack- a detail that did not come out at trial. She said the family believes whoever was attacked first, the brothers would not leave each other.

“No matter which one was attacked first, there is no question that the other would definitely have gone to help,’Barthe said in an interview with Brunswick News.

“There would have been no hesitation. I don’t remember who told me, but I was told that Noah died first. Connor would have been right in there, fighting tooth and nail. We know he would have tried to help.”

The battle against the snake would have been uneven. The African rock python that killed the children was known to be aggressive and bad-tempered and if one child had tried to free the other, a snake expert who testified at the trial said the reptile was long enough to wrap both boys in its deadly coils and constrict.

A pathologist said the brothers died of asphyxiation.

Barthe said she often looked after the children,occasionally picking them up at their daycare and bringing them to her home in Dalhousie.

She said she always smiles when she recalls the routine the boys had when they came to her home, including asking their granddad to make pancakes-their favorite meal when visiting.

“I would sit for hours watching them play in the yard,”she said.

“there was no fighting.They were just precious,precious,precious,beautiful boys. They had big,dark eyes. Connor was such a handsome little boy and Noah was very cute. They were happy children. They were loved and they knew they were loved. I think that makes a huge difference in the life of a child-to know they are loved.”

Barthe said the family still is in pain over the loss. She said there has been counselling for some family members.Others still cannot talk about it and others just carry on as best they can.

She said there is an ache that will never go away.

“It is difficult to explain the hurt,the physical and mental hurt,when you hear something like this,”Barthe said.

‘The pain is physical. My husband said when I was told they were gone, I screamed so loud i must have woken up everyone in the neighborhood.”

Barthe said that when it comes to Savoie and the trial,there has never been any doubt in her mind that he loved the boys. She said their deaths will be a burden for him for the rest of his life, a fact acknowledged by Savoie through his defense lawyers.

“I don’t know what he will think when he closes his eyes and remembers Connor and Noah,”she said. “But i know when I close my eyes, and see them playing in my yard once again, I smile.”

After reading this article, my thoughts and prayers for all those involved.

Campbellton- The jury has begun deliberations in the criminal negligence trial arising from the deaths of 2 little boys who were killed by what was described as a “mean” python that escaped its enclosure.

After a week of testimony at a courthouse in Campbellton,Jean-Claude Savoie should know soon whether he has been found guilty or not guilty of criminal negligence causing the deaths of brothers Connor Barthe,6 and Noah Barthe,4 on Aug. 5, 2013.

Justice Fred Ferguson,the presiding judge at the Court of Queen’s Bench trial,described the complexities of the law surrounding the charge of criminal negligence causing death in his final instructions to the jury on Wednesday morning.

He made it clear to jurors that to find Savoie guilty,they must agree that his conduct showed “a marked and substantial departure from what a reasonably prudent person would do in the same circumstances.”

Ferguson also stressed the importance of “reasonable doubt” telling jurors that while there cannot be absolute certainty,it is not enough for them to decide Savoie is probably guilty.

The judge also is providing a review of the evidence in the tragic case in which the 2 boys were killed by an aggressive African rock python that crawled out of its pen in Savoie’s apartment through a ceiling air vent. The snake then fell through the ceiling above where the boys were sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor.

The almost 4 meter long snake used its coils to constrict the children,asphyxiating them.

CAMPBELLTON- Just a couple of screws in a vent cover could have saved 2 little boys who were killed by an escaped snake, a jury was told as the prosecution argued for a guilty verdict in the criminal negligence trial arising from their tragic deaths.

Crown prosecutor Pierre Roussel and defense lawyer Les Matchim concluded their summations on Tuesday and the case is expected to go to the jury on Wednesday following Justice Fred Ferguson’s instructions.

“It wouldn’t have taken a lot of work,”Roussel aid,holding the vent cover at the trial of Jean-Claude Savoie.

“He just had to screw it in.”

Savoie is charged with criminal negligence causing the deaths of brothers Connor,6,and Noah Barthe,.4,.on Aug. 5,2013,when an African rock python escaped its pen in Savoie’s apartment by crawling through an open air duct in its enclosure.

Witnesses have told the trial the cover to the ceiling duct often was on the floor of the snake’s pen. The vent cover had 4 small holes where it could be secured in place with screws,but it wasn’t.

“It was a dangerous place to live in that apartment ,”Roussel said,adding that Savoie did not take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of people visiting his home,especially the Barthe brothers.

Savoie wiped away tears as his lawyer,Les Matchim, urged the jury to find his client not guilty. Matchim said Savoie is a “good father” to his own little boy and he cared deeply about the 2 brothers who died in the snake attack in his apartment.

“He is not someone who would be reckless and cavalier with their lives,”the defense lawyer said.

Matchim said Savoie made a grave mistake,one he must live with”for the rest of his life.”

But Matchim insisted that Savoie never showed the kind of wanton recklessness and disregard for safety that characterize criminal negligence.

“Would he put hi sown safety ad that of his son at risk”Matchim asked.

Savoie’s 3 year old son was in a separate room during the 2013 snake attack and was not hurt.

Referring to key testimony that Savoie had once seen the python “halfway out” of the ventilation pipe but failed to take corrective action,Matchim said the incident served as proof to Savoie that the 4 meter snake could not fit completely through the pipe.

Matchim said Savoie performed a “service” to the federal government by taking in the snake,but he was never compensated for caring for the animal.